it’s okay to forget the strict interpretation of the GR and do what the f*** you want to do according to your values in total disregard of the other’s wishes. Here in Oregon we have assisted suicide so problems like this aren’t always just thought problems.

I have to admit, I don’t understand what you mean.

I think the Golden Rule is more of an instinct than an explicit instruction. In other words, people use it reflexively rather than rationally. We don’t really sit down and think about it too much.

Oh crap. Is that a duck and dodge of the height of Dr. Bob’s stupidity? Thats so pathetic Simon it makes me want to spew intellectual vomit. Are you that insecure with your own dubious claims that you won’t follow through. You said comparing individual moral acts and category of acts is simple…and yet you won’t compare a list of them. Because if you tried you’d discover for yourself how insanely difficult it is to put obvious moral rules you talk about a LOT and put it in practice. From now on your posts on ethics and moral problems is just babble.

What I mean is, it’s not necessary for me to list the 15 crimes in order of badness, for you to give some examples of where the Categorical Imperative is routinely used in everyday life in order to make moral decisions. The two are unrelated.

Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity.” He argues that the immaturity is self-inflicted not from a lack of understanding , but from the lack of courage to use one’s reason, intellect, and wisdom without the guidance of another. He exclaims that the motto of enlightenment is “Sapere aude”! – Dare to be wise!

hi Simon Paynton, I hope you don’t mind if I answer your question posed to @davis

Earlier you were asking where C.I ” works”

One example is the UDHR & Absolute rights

Absolute rights cannot be interfered with or limited in any way.

Examples of absolute rights are prohibition of torture (Article 3, European Convention on Human Rights)

or Prohibition of slavery and forced labour (Article 4, European Convention on Human Rights).

Which I think are very Kantian these protect these people.

The next real world example is about keeping promises.

As E.K originally argues for. Like keeping the C.I for promise to payback loans.

That good credit is one the backbone of the modern finical system works. Like Standard & Poor’s credit rating of nations.

Think of what happened when in 2008 the unfortunate people could not keep the promise payback subprime home mortgages.. The financial crisis of 2007–2008 happened.

So I would argue in some (not all)

That deontology does work, both from the perspective of personal freedoms & liberty. But also duty ( like keeping promises) is also important to how society functions. Like some aspects of the business and economics.

@clearsky – I often argue that atheism is the mature position to hold (as opposed to theism). Once we can say to ourselves that “I am an atheist” we are compelled to consider the implications of what that means. This is especially true for those of us that have moved from a position of theism. We come to understand that we are very fortunate to have won the lottery of life, that no matter how long that life is, it will always seem brief and that when it is over, it is over. To be content with that “reality” is to become enlightened. Wisdom comes when you can smile to yourself for working that out. After that you don’t need to be brave to use your reason because your reason is all you have left but that is all you will ever need to work anything else out.